Factitious Illness by Proxy

BACKGROUND: Since 1977 a literature has grown describing examples of factitious illness by proxy (FIP). METHOD: The literature in English was searched using MEDLINE and supplemented by a manual search. Extracted data focused on terminology of a spectrum of behaviours, clinical features and psychopathology of perpetrators. RESULTS: There has been difficulty with the use of terminology and classification of psychiatric disorders. CONCLUSIONS: The spectrum of FIP is wide. Suggestions are made for the use of terminology and classification when FIP is identified.